Like all scientific theories, Darwinism has been questioned and tested wherever possible. Among scientists, it has held up well, becoming a pillar of modern science. But this has not prevented attacks, chiefly from outside the scientific community.

While last year’s Nobel Prize in Physics was for an esoteric advance in knowledge — theoretical work on sub-atomic particles, notably predicting the existence of the Higgs boson – the prize awarded during this past week was for a far more practical achievements, by three Japanese-born men: Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura. They received the award for playing seminal roles in the invention of blue light-emitting diodes.